Milk cooler



Jam... 30, 1940. R. MARKLEY, JR ET AL. 2,13,839

MILK COOLER Filed April 50, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l ET AL 2,188,839

Jan. 30, 1940.

R. MARKLEY, JR,

MILK COOLER Filed April 50, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 30; 1940.

R, MARKLEY, JR., ET AL MILK COOLER nnllllllll ,1?! I Ii Filed April 30,1937 28 nmuuun! 26 I F Nllllllllllll 22 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Jan.30, 1940 mu: coon-2n Richard Markley, Jn, Smyrna, in William m Cook,Wilmingto n, DeL, assignors to Wilson Cabinet Corporation, Smyrna DeL, acorporation of Delaware Application April 30, 1937, Serial No. 140,042

13 Claims.

This invention relates primarily to improvements in milk coolingapparatus, and the principal object of the invention is to provideapparatus of that class which by reason of novel 6' structural andfunctional features hereinafter described shall be more eificient andgenerally more desirable than the devices of the prior art.

More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide a coolingtank or cabinet of the stated 10 class having improved and moreeflicient provision for cooling the water or other circulatedliquid-cooling medium.

To thisspecific end, the invention contemplates the provision of acabinet having a separate compartment for cooling said liquid, togetherwith means for continuously passing liquid in large volume flow throughthe compartment, said compartment containing cooling elements arrangedto aflord a maximum cooling efliciency.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet of the statedclass comprising a plurality of main chambers for reception of thearticles to be cooled, together with means for circulating the saidliquid medium through said compartments,'and wherein the said liquid inpassing from one of said main compartments to another shall be caused toflow through a separate chamher containing the cooling means for saidliquid,

said separate chamber being so formed and the said cooling means beingso arranged therein as to afford a highly efiicient cooling action.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a multiplecompartment cabinet of the stated character wherein the liquid-coolingelements within the cabinet are entirely segregated, within a separatecompartment, whereby the said main compartments, adapted for receptionof the articles to be cooled, are left entirely unobstructed and freefrom the said cooling elements.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a cabinet of thecharacter described a separate cooling compartment for the saidcirculated liquid through which the liquid is caused to pass in normalcirculation and in large volume, and that shall be specially constructedand arranged to afford a maximum cooling efficiency.

' Still another object of the invention is to provide a multiplecompartment tank containing a plurality of main chambers adapted forreception of the articles to be cooled, wherein irrespective of thenumber of said articles that at any time may occupy said tank, provisionis made for maintaining a predetermined maximum level of the aforesaidliquid medium selectively in any of said main chambers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cooling tank of theclass described containing a plurality of compartments and means forcirculating a liquid cooling medium therethrough, wherein provision ismade for maintaining se- 6 lectively in each of said compartments andirrespective of the number of articles which may at any time occupy saidcompartments a predetermined high liquid level.

A further object of the invention is to provide 10 a cooling apparatusof the class described that shall be substantially free from anytendency toward Stratification in the circulating liquid bath.

The invention further contemplates the provision of novel and highlyimproved means for circulating the said liquid medium through the tank,and to this latter end, a specific object of the invention is to providean improved form of circulating means that shall be relatively quiet,eflicient and trouble-free. 20

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a cooling tank ofthe character described, wherein a plurality of main chambers shall beseparated by an intervening liquid-cooling compartment; said compartmentbeing open at the top for reception of the said circulating liquid byoverflow from the respective chambers, and thereby determining themaximum high level of the liquid in said chambers; and wherein, further,provision is made for creating a large displacement of the liquid fromone of said chambers to another, to thereby build up the level of theliquid in the one chamber at the expense of the liquid level in theother chamber, and to cause the overflow from the first of said chambersof the liquid into said cooling compartment and hence to the otherchamber, and wherein further provision is made for reversing thecirculation of said liquid to thereby permit the building up of theliquid in said chambers, selectively, to said maximum high level.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet of the statedcharacter wherein the cooling chamber for the said liquid medium isformed as a separate removable unit.

To this latter specific end, the invention further contemplates theprovision of a tank construction having the aforesaid removableliquidcooling compartment, wherein the cooling mechanism is mounted as awhole upon a removable portion of the tank structure which includes thecompartment forming members.-

Still another object of the invention is to provide a tank of the statedcharacter wherein the means for circulating the liquid medium is 5formed as a unitary part of the structure andis removable from thestructure as such.

More broadly stated, the invention contemplates the provision of ,ahighly efficient apparatus wherein a liquid heat exchange medium iscaused to circulate between compartments of a tank or cabinet andthrough an interposed separate compartment containing means forcontrolling the temperature of said liquid medium, said lattercompartment being constructed and arranged with respect to the others sothat a maximum volume of the circulating liquid is brought into intimateheat exchange relation with said temperature controlling means.

The invention further resides in the provision of certain novel andimproved automatic control devices, and in the novel structuralarrangements and details hereinafter described and illustrated in theattached drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational perspective view of a cabinet made inaccordance with our invention,-a portion of the front wall of thecabinet being cut away to expose the interior;

Fig. 2 is a detached view in perspective of one of the separable unitsof the cabinet, including the liquid-cooling compartment and thecirculator assembly;

Fig. 3 is a detached view in perspective of the sub-unit consisting ofthe circulator assembly;

Fig. 4 is a detached view in perspective of the liquid-coolingcompartments showing the details of construction and the preferredarrangement of the cooling elements;

Fig. '5 is a side elevational view of one of the cooling units of theliquid-cooling compartment, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the liquidcooling compartment.

With reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the cabinet therein shown as apreferred embodiment of our invention comprises the usual insulated sideand bottom walls, designated generally by the reference numerals l and2, and the cabinet is provided at the top and at each end with hingedcovers, 3 and 4 respectively, giving access to main compartments 5 and 6which are adapted to receive the cans i of milk or other articles to becooled. The compartments 5 and 6 are separated by an interveningcompartment 8, the outer walls 9, 9 of which extend continuously fromthe bottom 2 of the tank upwardly to a line below the tops of the sidewalls i of the cabinet, so that the maximum high level of the water orother circulating medium, which occupies the interior of the cabinet asillustrated, and in either of the compartments 5 and 6 is determined bythe height of the said walls 9, 9 of the chamber 8. It will be apparentthat when in either of the compartments 5 and 6 the level of the waterrises to the top of the adjoining wall 9, the water will then overflowfrom the chamber into the compartment 8. As illustrated, the height ofthe walls 9 is slightly less than the effective height of the containers1, so that when the water in either of the chambers 5 and 6 attains itsmaximum depth, the container or containers 7 occupying that compartmentwill be largely immersed.

As shown in Fig. l, the rear vertical edges of the walls 9, 9 of thecompartment 8 abut the rear side wall of the cabinet, and the forwardvertical edges of the walls 9 are spaced apart from the front wall ofthe cabinet. Secured to the front vertical edges of the walls 9 is aplate I! which forms the front wall of the chamber 8, and from one sideedge of the plate It a flange i2 extends forwardly into abutment withthe front wall of the cabinet. The plate ll extends completely to thebottom 2 of the cabinet, and above the tops of the walls 9, but theflange l3 terminates at its lower end short of the said bottom. Ahorizontal flange l3 projecting from the plate ll joins the bottom ofthe flange l2 at one end, and at the other end has a depending flange l4which extends in assembly to the bottom wall 2 of the tank, the forwardedges of the flanges l3 and H abutting the front side wall of thecabinet. It is apparent that the flanges l2, l3 and I4 constitute ineffect a partition closing the space between the forward end of thechamber 8, and the front wall of the cabinet thereby completing thepartitioning within the cabinet of the chambers 5 and 6. The flange I3is provided with an opening l5 which establishes direct communicationbetween the chambers 5 and 6 for a purpose hereinafter described.

For the present purpose of this description, it may be considered thatthe walls 9, 9 of the chamber 8, the plate H and flanges l2, l3 and I4constitute a unitary structure extending continuously from the rear wallof the cabinet to the front wall and forming the partition between thecompartments 5 and 6. The structure in the present instance is securedin depending position from the separate central portion 5 of the top orcover of the cabinet, the connection between the said structure and thistop section l6 being made in the present instance through the medium ofa plurality of threaded rods or bolts 17, as clearly illustrated inFigs. 1 and 2, and also, as shown in Fig. 3, by means of straps l8 and19 which depend from a forward separable portion Isa of the member l6and are attached to the plate I l.

Mounted in the chamber 8 are cooling coils 2! and 22, and these coilsare operatively connected with conventional refrigerating mechanism 23mounted upon the cover member l6. Preferably, the coils 2| and 22 areformed as units in accordance with the principles set forth in U. S.Patent No. 2,056,862, dated October 6, 1936. Each of the coil units,best shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6, consists of the pair of side plates 24and- 25 between which is closely confined the coil proper, this coilbeing formed in an overlapping series of narrow vertical convolutions.The plates 24 and 25 are reinforced externally by a series of transversestraps 26, and by vertical angle bars 27, and the plates 24 and 25 ofeach unit are secured together against the opposite sides of theassociated coil by means of through bolts 28. As illustrated, the plates24 and 25 terminate at points somewhat above and somewhat below thebottoms and tops of the coils. The coil units are mounted between theside walls 9, 9 of the com partment 8 in positions elevated above thebottom of the compartment and supported upon the lower extended ends ofthe reinforcing angles 21.

Between the two coil units is a bafiie plate 29 which, like the sideplates 26 and 25 of the units, extends continuously from one end wall ofthe compartment to the other. The lower edge of the baiiie 29, in thepresent instance, is somewhat elevated above the 'lower edges of theplates 24 and 25, and the upper end of the baflie 29 extends to asubstantial extent above the upper edges of the said plates. Theoutwardly projecting flanges of the vertically reinforcing angle bars 21engage the inner faces of the walls 9, 9 of the compartment, and alsothe opposite sides of the bafiie 29, and thereby space the side plates24 and 25 of the units from the said walls a and the ballle 2s. Thebaflle 2a is suitably secured to the coil units and by reference toFigure 4, it will be noted that the lower ends of the outer reinforcingangles 21 bear upon inturned flanges 3l at the lower ends of the walls9, 9 whereby the entire coil structure is supported on the walls and isremovable with the walls from the tank as a unit.

Mounted upon the top of the separable section l6a of the cover member I6is an electric motor 32 together with suitable motor control elements.The shaft of the motor extends vertically and is connected by suitablecoupling means (not shown) with a vertical shaft 33 which extendsdownwardly through the cover and is journalled at its lower end in arubber or other bearing 34, this bearing being supported upon a bracket35 attached to the underside of the flange l3 of the plate ll. Securedto the shaft 33 and occupying a position within the opening l5 of theflange I3 is a propeller 36. The motor 32 is reversible so that theshaft 33 and the propeller 36 may be operated in either direction asrequired.

In the operation of the cooling apparatus, in so far as described above,the cabinet I is provided with a predetermined volume of water or othersuitable cooling medium, this liquid being sufflcient, preferably, tofill one of the compartments 5 or 6 to the level of the top of thewalls9, 9, and also the compartment 8, while still leaving sumcient water inthe other of the main compartments to cover the propeller 36. The watermay be initially cooled by operating the propeller in one direction orthe other, thereby building up the water level in one of thecompartments 5 and 6 to the point where the water from that compartmentoverflows into the chamber 8 and from the chamber 8 into the other ofthe main compartments. Water may thus be circulated continuously betweenthe main compartments 5 and 6 and through the cooling compartment 8. Thepropeller 36 is capable of displacing a large volume of water from oneof the main compartments to the other and thereby creates a large volumeflow through the chamber 8. The construction of this chamber 8 and thearrangement therein of the cooling coils is such that this large volumeof water passing from one of the main compartments to the other iscaused to pass in intimate contact with the surface of the coils proper,and with the extended refrigerating surfaces provided by the side plates24 and 25 of the coil units. The water in passing through the chamber 8moves downwardly at one side of the partition 29 and upwardly at theother side, thereby causing a down-flow and an up-fiow of the water overthe respective coils. By reason of the spacing of the side plates 24 and25 from the walls 9, 9 of the compartment and from the partition 29, thewater is permitted to pass freely over both the inner and outer surfacesof said side plates, as well as between the plates of the respectiveunits, and since the said units fill the greater portion of the interiorspace of the chamber 3, substantially all the water passing through thischamber is brought into intimate heat exchange relation with the coolingelements. In this way the water circulating in the tank as described israpidly and efiiciently cooled.

The advantage of the independent cooling chamber for the circulatingliquid, arranged as described so that substantially all the waterpassing'from one of the main compartments 5 and 6 must pass through thiscompartment, will be apparent. It provides a separate cooling zonewithin the tank, through which all of the water passing from one of themain chambers to the other main chamber must pass in the normalcirculation, and makes possible a construction and form of this coolingzone, and an arrangement therein of cooling elements, which iscalculated to function with the highest eificiency in reducing thetemperature of the circulatin liquid. It will be apparent that theeffective high water level in the main chambers 5 and 6 is determined bythe height of the walls 9, 9,

of the chamber 8 and that the arrangement provides for the building upwithin either one of the main chambers, selectively, of the water tothis maximum high level by operation of the propeller 36 in onedirection or the other. There are also material advantages in the use ofthe propeller 36 in lieu of the centrifugal or gear pumps conventionallyused for setting up the circulation of the liquid. Not only is thepropeller capable of displacing the water from the one main chamber tothe other at a considerably more rapid rate than can the conventionalpump, but the operation is relatively noiseless and the propellerapparatus is so relatively simple as compared with the conventional pumpconstruction that the ordinary operating difficulties experienced withpumps is avoided The propeller device is also relatively inexpensive andis substantially free from wear.

Either before or after the water in the tank has been subjected asdescribed to a preliminary cooling, the cans of milk, say night's milk,may be placed in the high level compartment which, in Figure 1 is thecompartment 5, it being noted that the cans are deeply immersed in thewater in this compartment. Circulation of the water now continues,directly from the chamber 6 to the chamber 5, and thence to the chamber6 through the cooling compartment 8. As previously set forth, thecirculation of water occurs at a rapid rate and the manner in which thiscirculation is achieved, together with the large volume of water passingover the cooling coils in the chamber 8 results in a rapid reduction ofthe temperature of the milk in the cans, and positively precludesanything in the nature of stratification of the water bath, so that thecooling of the milk from top to bottom of the cans occurswith'substantial uniformity. When the temperature of the milk has beenreduced to the desired degree, and the temperature of the entire body ofwater within the tank has been reduced to a predetermined minimum, theoperation of the apparatus may be discontinued and the milk will thenremain in storage at a substantially constant desired low temperature.When the morning's milk is ready for cooling, the cans containing thatmilk may be placed in the compartment 6, and the propeller operated inthe reverse direction to build up the water in that compartment to themaximum level and to set up a circulation, passing from the compartment6 through the compartment 8 to the compartment 5 and thence by way ofthe propeller back to the high level compartment. By this reversecirculation the mornings milk is rapidly cooled to the required extentin the manner described above. It will be noted that by reason of thearrangement which makes possible the increasing of the water level ineither of the compartments 5 and 6 as required, it is not necessary, asin the prior conven-.

partment in order to permit the insertion in that compartment for rapidcooling of morning's milk, so that considerable labor is avoided. In atank made in accordance with our invention, both of the maincompartments are in effect high level compartments, or may as requiredbe made to function in that respect.' It will also be ap parent that asthe number of milk cans in the two compartments increases, the normallevel of the water in the tank will be correspondingly elevated, so thatthe cooling of the milk in both compartments is carried on at arelatively rapid rate.

As previously set forth, the cooling chamber structure including thewalls 9, 9, the end plate H, and its flanges l2, l3 and M are formed ineffect as a unit, and this structure is secured to the cover member I6,which also constitutes a support for the operating mechanisms, both forthe cooling coils and the circulating propeller. The cover member I6 isdetachable from the cabinet so that this entire portion of the apparatusmay be removed from the cabinet as a unit. The walls 9, 9 and flangesl2, l3 and M are so formed that they fit snugly between the front andrear walls of the cabinet so as to form an effective seal between thecooling chamber structure and the said walls. The entire structure,however, is free to be withdrawn if required, and it is apparent thatthis arrangement not only facilitates removal of these parts for repair,adjustments, or cleaning, but also materially facilitates the assemblingand installation of the apparatus. It is to be noted further, as shownin Figure 3, that the separable part 16a of the cover member l6 whichsupports the plate i I, the flanges l2 and I3 and the propelleroperating mechanism, constitutes a sub-unit, being separable from thewalls 9, 9 of the compartment 8, to which it is secured normally bymeans of bolts passing through the plate H and through flanges at theends of the said walls.

As a matter of automatic control of the operation of the device, weprefer to provide an automatic time switch for discontinuing, or forperiodically actuating the motor 32, and the propeller 36. We prefer,also, to employ a separate thermostatically actuated control for therefrigerating mechanism, this latter mechanism being operated by thethermostat to maintain the temperature of the water in the tank below apredetermined maximum temperature, regardless of the circulation. Innormal operation, the length of time for maintaining a circulation inorder to reduce the temperature of a given quantity of milk, may bereadily determined, and the operation of the circulating mechanism isthen automatically discontinued by the time switch after a predeterminedadequate period of operation. After discontinuance of the circulation,the operation of the refrigerating unit will continue until thetemperature of the entire body of water within the tank has been reducedto the predetermined minimum. It has been found that this system ofcontrol affords a most economical method of operation and it has theadditional advantage of relative simplicity and. freedom fromcomplication.

It will be apparent that the device as illustrated in the attacheddrawings is capable of considerable modification in details of structureand arrangement, without departure from the invention. It will beapparent also that without departure from the principle involved, or, infact, from the structure herein described, the invention may be employedfor heating as well as refrigerating, and there are to be no impliedlimitations in this respect. By passing steam or other heating fluidthrough the coils 2i and 22, for example, or by replacing these coils byother suitable heating elements, the liquid heat transfer medium in thetank may be caused to carry heat to articles or containers placed in thetank compartments.

We claim:

1. Cooling apparatus comprising a tank for a liquid cooling medium, saidtank having main compartments for the articles to be cooled and anintervening cooling compartment for said liquid, said interveningcompartment being open at the top to provide for transfer of the liquidfrom one to another of said main compartments by over-flow through theintervening compartment, cooling means in said intervening compartment,and means for building up the liquid level in one of said maincompartments at the expense of the level in the other and to an extentcausing over-flow into and through said intervening compartment tothereby set up a circulation of the liquid in the tank in a pathextending progressively through said compartments, and means forreversing the direction of said circulation,

2. Cooling apparatus comprising a tank for a liquid cooling medium, saidtank having a plurality of main compartments and a separate compartmenthaving communication by overflow with said main compartments, coolingmeans in the said separate compartment for said liquid, and means fortransferring the liquid from one main compartment to another forsubsequent return to the first of said compartments by overflow throughthe said separate compartment.

3. Cooling apparatus comprising a tank for a liquid cooling medium, saidtank having a plurality of main compartments and a separate compartmenthaving communication by over-flow with said main compartments, saidseparate compartment being relatively deep and narrow and having thereincooling means for the said liquid extending over the major portion ofthe depth of the compartment, means for setting up aninter-compartmental circulation of said liquid byway of said separatecompartment, and means for directing the flow of the liquid through thesaid separate compartment downwardly to the bottom of the latter.

4. Cooling apparatus comprising a tank for a liquid cooling medium, saidtank having a plurality of main compartments and a separate compartmenthaving communication by overflow with said main compartments, saidseparate compartment being relatively deep and narrow and having thereina plurality of laterally spaced and vertically arranged cooling coils,means for setting up an inter-compartmental circulation of said liquidby way of said separate compartment, and vertical bafile meanswithin-said separate compartment for directing the flow of said liquiddownwardly to the bottom over one of said coils and upwardly overanother of said coils.

5. Cooling apparatus comprising a tank for a liquid cooling medium, saidtank having a plu rality of main compartments, and a separatecompartment having communication by overflow with said maincompartments, cooling means in the separate compartment for said liquidand means for transferring the liquid from one main compartment toanother for subsequent return to the first of said compartments byoverflow through the said separate compartment, said transfer meanscomprising a by-pass bea propeller operatively associated with saidbypass, and power mechanism for actuating said propeller.

6. Cooling apparatus comprising a tank for a liquid cooling medium, saidtank having a plurality of main compartments, and a separate compartmenthaving communication by over-flow with said main compartments, coolingmeans in the said separate compartment for said liquid and means fortransferring the liquid from one main compartment to another forsubsequent return to the first of said compartments by overflow throughthe said separate compartment,

said transfer means comprising a by-pass between the bottoms of saidmain compartments, a propeller operatively associated with said by-pass,and power mechanism for actuating said propeller, said mechanism beingreversible to afford a transfer of said liquid selectively in eitherdirection.

7. Cooling apparatus comprising a tank for a liquid cooling medium, aunitary structure inserted in the tank and dividing the interior of thelatter into a plurality of main compartments and a separate compartmenthaving communication by over-flow with said main compartments, means forsetting up an inter-compartmental circulation of said liquid by way ofsaid separate compartment, and cooling mechanism forming a part of saidunitary structure and including a cooling coil located in said separatecompartment.

8. Cooling apparatus comprising a tank for a liquid cooling medium, aunitary structure inserted in the tank and dividing the interior of thelatter into a plurality of main compartments and a separate compartmenthaving communication -by over fiow with said main compartments, coolingmeans in said separate compartment for said liquid, and means forsetting up an inter-compartmental circulation of said liquid by way ofsaid separate compartment, said cooling and circulating meansconstituting parts of said unitary structure.

9. Cooling apparatus comprising a cabinet constituting a tank for aliquid cooling medium, a unitary structure inserted in the cabinet anddividing the interior of the latter into a plurality .of maincompartments and a separate compartment, a cooling coil in said separatecompartmentv and mounted therein as a part of said unitary structuremeans for setting up an intercompartmental circulation of said liquid byway of said separate compartment, said circulating means also beingformed as a part of said unitary structure, a cover for said cabinetcomprising displaceable lids aifording access to the main compartmentsand a separate detachable section overlying the separate compartment,said separate section being attached to the said unitary structure, andrefrigerating apparatus and a motor mounted on said separate coversectionand connected respectively to said coil and circulating means.

10. Cooling apparatus comprising a cabinet constituting a tank for aliquid cooling medium, a unitary structure inserted in the cabinet anddividing the interior of the latter into a plurality of maincompartments and a separate compartment having communication byover-flow with the said main compartments, a cooling coil in saidseparate compartment and mounted therein as a part of said'unitarystructure, means for setting up an inter-compartmental circulation ofsaid liquid by way of said separate com partment, said circulating meansalso being formed as a part of said unitary structure, a,

cover for said cabinet comprising displaceable lids affording access tothe main compartments 7 and a separate detachable section overlying thell. Cooling apparatus comprising a tank for a liquid-cooling medium,said tank having a plurality of compartments for the articles to becooled, means providing for transfer of said liquid by over-flow betweensaid compartments, and means for transferring the liquid from onecompartment to another to thereby set up a progressive circulation bysaid over-flow through said compartments, said last-named means beingreversible for reversing the direction of said circulation.

l2. Cooling apparatus comprising a tank for a liquid-cooling medium,said tank having a plurality of compartments for the articles to becooled, means providing for transfer of said liquid by over-flow betweensaid compartments, means for transferring the liquid from onecompartment to another to thereby set up a progressive circulation bysaid over-flow through said compartments, said last-named means beingreversible for reversing the direction of said circulation, and coolingmeans for said liquid located in the tank within the area affected bysaid circulation.

13'. Cooling apparatus comprising a tank for a liquid-cooling medium,said tank containing cooling means for said liquid and having aplurality of compartments for the articles to be cooled, means forraising the liquid to a predetermined maximum level in one of saidcompartments at the expense of the liquid level in another compartment,said means being reversible to provide for obtaining said maximum level.selectively in either of the compartments, and means including saidmeans for raising the liquid for setting up a forced circulation of theliquid with respect to said cooling means.

RICHARD MARKLEY, Jn. WILLIAM A. COOK.

